Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1887-07-21
"BETSY CAMPS WEDDIN. T"
BY M. j. ROY.

BY M. j.. ROY.
"Fix up, old woman. fix up, put on yer
best bib and tucker, fur we're goin 10 a
shake down ter night"
"Ole man, shet up, yer must be crazy"
mo. I'm not, its nigh onto thirty yeers
since shook my foot, but its got ter trip
it ter night, even eft it does make my jinIs
crack"
"What We mean, Jonathan?"
81 mean that thars goin' to be shake
down at Pete Stumps." And the old man
waved his hat over his head while he
waltzed about the kitchen. Aunt Tilda
Knucklebone sat with O pan OF apples on
her lap, gazing at her husband in astonish-
ment. while the teapot boiled and hissed
on the stove.
"Pm goin' ter be thar an shake my
foot. the fust time in thirty yeers," added
Uncle Jonathan, continuing TO waltz
about the kitchon.
Jonathan Knucklebone, hev ye lost
yer senses?"
"No."
"Set down then an tell me what yer
mean"
UEcle Johnathan was soon out of breath,
and gladly enough threw himself into a
fiss@slIc,h hrirda-"
"Well, Jonathan, what dyer meanf'
"Thar's goin' ter be shake-down nj
Pete Stumps, all on account o some one
comm back from Californy, an yer cant
guess who it is?"
"No, o course not; who is it?"
"Hamp Flatmarsh."
"Who's he?"
"what! don't yer remember Hamp, the
forty miner, who went away 80 long ago!"
"'Pears to me like do remember him q
little, said Aunt Tilda, resuming the pairing
of her apples. m
40 course ye remember Hamp. Why.
be war a leetle boy when we war sparkin'. "
"Yes, remember him now."
"Wall, we'll go to the shake down, fur
it's given in honor o him.
"But We furgit, Jonathan: We both be-
long TO the church now."
"Oh, don't keer if we do. The Bible
saws thars time to dance, an that time 6
when Hamp Flatmarsh comes home.
| Jonathan, don't believe We ought to
| CO." said Aunt Tilda, yet evincing in hel
tone just the leas: inclination to yield.
Yer don't? Well, do. Hamps come
home artcr bein' gone nigh onto twenty
yeers, an we'll go; course we will, ole
woman, meetin' or no meetin; SO, nix up.
| put on yer best bib an tucker. Why,
knowed Hamp ever since he war knee high
He's sot on my lap many time"
"Who all's Roin' to be thar?"
"Oh, everybody. Thar's the Moores
tho Perkinses, the Williamses, the Sny-
ders, Langs. Browns, Smiths, Pinkertons,
Aliens, Noddingtons, Applegates, Pender-
casts, Mitchells, Thrashers, Hamiltons
Eckertons, and Betsy Camp the schoo
marm."
ais Betsy Camp goin'G"
"Yes."
"Sartin' sure"
dead sartin'. Little Alph Lowe over
heard Ben Hamilton tell Nick Alread tina
Sam Snyder he'd heerd her say she wa
goin', 80 thar can't be any doubt nv it"
"Why Jonathan, l declar ye've put m
all in flutter."
90 course; gil ready, we're goin,."
"Will our children be thar"
90 course, Tom, Sally, Dave, and Net
all axed-"
"Well, Jonathan, we'd look like two oil,
fools dancin' afore our grown up chill
dren."
"We needn't dance eff we don't want to
Yer see thars goin' ter be big supper lik
a barbecue. Petes axed the whole coun
try round, so they kin all sit ter see HAM
at onct."
"Are ye sure Betsy's goin'p'
Course she is.
"Didn't she use ter know Hamp?"
"Guess she did, ole woman. She was
purity leetle gal o sixteen when he wen
away in forty-nine."
pore Betsy. She's good gal" sal
Aunt Tilda, peeling apples vigorously, a
if she was in hurry TO get dinner ready
"Yes, Betsy is fine gal. She's teachir
our skule nigh on ter twelve years now, nj
eff thars a lady in all Stun Circle neighbor
hood it's Betsy Camp. Guess she's nu
thority on everything"
Say, Jonathan, don't it seem kinde
strange ter you that Betsy never got maj
ried?"
"Yes, a leetle."
"An' she's had SO many good chances
), too. Thar was Al Bales was good ketcl
J an she let him so by; then Phil Nicbo
war next, but he tux to drink, and no q
MS sensible as Betsy'd ever marry ma
wot drinks Then sence sho's been on Oh
old maid list, Dekin Smart, whose vii
died. g a most ded arter her."
"Wall, ole woman, l spose she don
want ter marry. guess that's all thar
about IT,"
"she's good gal an could get anybod
she wanted"
Aunt Tilda had now completed peelin
! her apples, and proceeded to prepare u
!, dinner.
Evening came, and all the country WI
in n hustle. It seemed as IL the entil
ne1gnDOfDOOu nhu Suuu'Hiy COhOAuuou
90 to Pete Stump's. The large, room.
old-fashioned country house of Pc
Stump, with it's heavy oak doors and sol
oak fioors and broad fire places, wi
crowded 10 its utmost capacity.
To use Uncle Jonathan's expression
everybody was there.
"Come iu, come in, how dy do? This
Hamp Flntmarsh. 1 guess We know hi
though; don't look as ef he'd chang,
( much," said Peter Stump who stood at Il
front door. At his side was q tall, broa
shouldered man, with heavy mustache, Al
face bronzed by long exposure to wind al
n weather.
He was probably forty years OF age, L
hair once dark was now streaked with gra
and the heavy mustache was also growil
a little frosty with time.
Many of the old people in the neighbo
hood, who had known Hamp Flatmarsh
q quick, impulsive youth, now looked
see IL there we're any familiar featur
about his face.
"Ycs, he is jist the same" they
declared, Except that dark scar in
cheek where he got the Injun arrer," p
Es- E In old Sally Flint.
NJ "Oh, Hamp, I'm 90 glad ter see
Dc back agjn" said Uncle Jonathan Knuekl